Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Monday that he was removing the members of a key vaccine safety panel, saying a “clean sweep” is needed to reestablish public trust in the medical establishment.
Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic, announced that the Trump administration would be “taking a bold step in restoring public trust” in vaccine science by retiring all of the 17 members on the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices and appointing replacements.
“Under my direction, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is putting the restoration of public trust above any pro- or antivaccine agenda,” Kennedy said in a Wall Street Journal op-ed published Monday afternoon. “The public must know that unbiased science guides the recommendations from our health agencies.”
The press release from HHS on the decision noted that 13 of the 17 members were appointed by former President Joe Biden, many within the last moments of his administration.
“Without removing the current members, the current Trump administration would not have been able to appoint a majority of new members until 2028,” Kennedy wrote.
Kennedy also said in the op-ed that the ACIP has “never recommended against a vaccine—even those later withdrawn for safety reasons” and has been tainted by financial ties to pharmaceutical companies.
The HHS secretary said that the newly appointed members “won’t directly work for the vaccine industry” but will instead “refuse to serve as a rubber stamp” and will be “unafraid to ask hard questions.”
Pro-vaccine advocates have long been concerned that Kennedy would target the ACIP and other vaccine safety boards to diminish the credibility of vaccines to save lives.
In February, Kennedy promised Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), chairman of the Senate health committee, that he would not make major decisions regarding the vaccine schedule or safety monitoring protocols without Cassidy’s input.
Cassidy, who is up for reelection in 2026, has come under heavy fire for casting a deciding vote in Kennedy’s confirmation to head HHS based upon those promises.
Cassidy posted on X shortly after the news broke of the ACIP change that he has been in communication with Kennedy, but when asked by the Washington Examiner, his office did not provide more context about the conversation.
“Of course, now the fear is that the ACIP will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion,” Cassidy said on X. “I’ve just spoken with Secretary Kennedy, and I’ll continue to talk with him to ensure this is not the case.”
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The HHS press release on the decision highlighted that the move to reconstitute the ACIP is in keeping with President Donald Trump’s recent executive order regarding so-called “gold standard science,” aimed at increasing the credibility of government-backed research.
“The new ACIP members will ensure that government scientific activities are informed by the most credible, reliable, and impartial scientific evidence available,” the press release reads.
Dr. Bruce Scott, president of the American Medical Association, said in a statement that Kennedy’s move “upends a transparent process that has saved countless lives.”
“With an ongoing measles outbreak and routine child vaccination rates declining, this move will further fuel the spread of vaccine-preventable illness,” he said.
